Composite Siding System

ABSTRACT

The present invention is an improved system of wall siding which provides a aesthetically appealing, weather resistant and maintenance free house cladding which has the appearance of wood siding. The system includes a plurality of elongated composite siding boards for mounting to the wall studs, each composite siding board having a length, opposite outer and inner sides and opposite upper and lower edges. The upper edge of each board has a tongue formed thereon which extends along the entire length of the siding board. The opposite lower edge has a groove formed thereon which also extends the entire length of the siding board. Each board has a shoulder portion extending from the inner side of the siding board adjacent the lower edge. The groove is formed on the shoulder adjacent the lower edge. The lower edge has a lower lip extending below the groove, the tongue and the groove being dimensioned and configured such that the tongue of one siding board can be snugly received within the groove of the siding board mounted immediately above. The board are mounted to the wall studs by a plurality of mounting clips, the mounting clips each having a flat portion and a sinusoidal portion, the sinusoidal portion being dimensioned and configured to fit in the groove between the groove of one siding board and the tongue of the adjacent siding board, the flat portion having an aperture for receiving a mounting element for mounting the clip to the wall stud.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to composite siding for mounting to wall studs to form a wall.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Wooden siding has been a very popular way of cladding a house against the elements. Generally speaking, wooden siding is simply nailed (or screwed) to the wall studs in overlapping parallel horizontal rows to form a weather resistant cladding. Wooden siding can be a very effective form of cladding, particularly if premium weather resistant woods such as treated cedar are used and maintained. Unfortunately, genuine cedar is relatively expensive. Furthermore, periodic maintenance is required to maintain the weather resistant nature of the wood siding. Periodically treating wooden siding is a labor intensive operation involving the use of messy chemical sealants. As a result, alternative forms of siding have been attempted.

Aluminum siding has been used in place of wooden siding with adequate results. The resulting cladding is often inexpensive and effective, but is not as aesthetically pleasing as genuine wooden siding. In an attempt to create a more authentic looking appearance, composite siding boards have been used. These composite boards generally consist of an extruded polymeric material of resin and filler. Various formulations exist for the composition of the composite board, but the key ingredients are generally a polymer resin and a fibrous filler material such as wood fiber. The finished siding board is often quite similar to wood in texture and appearance, and in some cases, can even be sawed and nailed just like genuine wood siding. While lacking some of the structural strength and rigidity of genuine wooden siding, the composite siding is generally impervious to weather and never needs maintenance after installation.

While composite siding has become quite popular as a result of its relative cost and maintenance free characteristics, it has a few drawbacks. Firstly, the composite boards tend to lack the structural strength and rigidity of genuine wood. This makes composite siding more difficult to mount to the wall studs. In hot sunny weather, the composite siding boards have a tendency to soften and expand, causing the boards to buckle. Buckling of the boards causes minute gaps and fissures to open up between the boards, resulting in a less effective cladding as well as an aesthetically displeasing appearance. An improved siding system which overcomes the limitations of composite siding is therefore desirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an improved system of wall siding which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art. The system includes a plurality of elongated composite siding boards for mounting to the wall studs in a parallel and abutting side to side orientation. Each composite siding board has a length, opposite outer and inner sides and opposite upper and lower edges. The upper edge has a tongue formed thereon extending substantially the entire length of the siding board and the opposite lower edge has a groove formed thereon extending substantially the entire length of the siding board. The tongue and the groove are dimensioned and configured such that the tongue of one siding board can be received within the groove of the siding board mounted immediately above. The siding boards are mounted to the wall studs by a plurality of mounting clips. The mounting clips each have a sinusoidal portion contoured and dimensioned to fit in the groove between the groove of one siding board and the tongue of the siding board immediately below. Each clip has an aperture for receiving a mounting element for mounting the clip to the wall stud.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an improved system of wall siding which provides a weather resistant and maintenance free house cladding which will not buckle after installation. The system includes a plurality of elongated composite siding boards for mounting to the wall studs in a parallel and abutting side to side orientation, each composite siding board having a length, opposite outer and inner sides and opposite upper and lower edges. The upper edge has a tongue formed thereon extending substantially the entire length of the siding board and the opposite lower edge has a groove formed thereon extending substantially the entire length of the siding board. The tongue and the groove are dimensioned and configured such that the tongue of one siding board can be received within the groove of the siding board mounted immediately above. The system further includes a plurality of mounting clips for mounting the siding boards to the wall studs by suspending the siding boards, the clips being dimensioned and configured to permit the boards to move slightly relative to the mounting clips.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an improved system of wall siding which provides a aesthetically appealing, weather resistant and maintenance free house cladding which has the appearance of wood siding and which overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art. The system includes a plurality of elongated composite siding boards for mounting to the wall studs in a parallel and overlapping side to side orientation, each composite siding board having a length, opposite outer and inner sides and opposite upper and lower edges. The upper edge of each board has a tongue formed thereon which extends along the entire length of the siding board. The opposite lower edge has a groove formed thereon which also extends the entire length of the siding board. Each board has a shoulder portion extending from the inner side of the siding board adjacent the lower edge. The groove is formed on the shoulder adjacent the lower edge. The lower edge has a lower lip extending below the groove, the tongue and the groove being dimensioned and configured such that the tongue of one siding board can be snugly received within the groove of the siding board mounted immediately above. The board are mounted to the wall studs by a plurality of mounting clips, the mounting clips each having a flat portion and a sinusoidal portion, the sinusoidal portion being dimensioned and configured to fit in the groove between the groove of one siding board and the tongue of the adjacent siding board, the flat portion having an aperture for receiving a mounting element for mounting the clip to the wall stud.

With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, the invention is herein described by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which includes a description of the preferred typical embodiment of the principles of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1. is side view of a siding board made in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the siding board shown in FIG. 1 with a mounting clip made in accordance with the present invention attached thereto.

FIG. 3 is a side view of two siding boards made in accordance with the present invention being mounted by a mounting clip made in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view taken from the bottom showing a mounting clip made in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a mounting clip made in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view of three siding boards made in accordance with the present invention being mounted by mounting clips.

FIG. 7 is a side view of three siding boards made in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention being mounted by mounting clips

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring firstly to FIGS. 1 and 2, a siding board made in accordance with the present invention is shown generally as item 10 and comprises a an elongated board 12 having upper edge 16 and lower edge 14, inner side 28 and outer side 26. Board 12 may be made of solid wood, particle board or, preferably, a composite board made of an extruded polymer/filler mix, the composition of which is designed to balance cost, appearance and strength. Several suitable formulations of polymer resin and filler are readily available in the marketplace for use in manufacturing board 12. For example, a mixture of approximately 50% wood fiber and approximately 50% polymer is useful for many applications. Of course, the exact formulation of polymer resin and filler will be a function of raw material cost, desired appearance and the weather conditions the boards are destined to be used in.

Board 12 has tongue 18 formed on upper edge 16 and groove 20 formed on lower edge 14. Board 12 has flat surface 59 on end 16. Groove 20 is formed on shoulder 24 which projects from inner side 28 adjacent edge 14. Shoulder 24 has toe portion 30, top wall 32 and flat surface 61. Side wall 34 is formed on edge 14 adjacent groove 20. Lip 22 is formed on edge 14. Outer side 26 may have a pattern formed thereon to simulate the appearance of natural wood. Upper edge 16 may have scallop 50 formed thereon.

Tongue 18 and groove 20 are dimensioned and configured such that tongue 18 of one siding board can fit within groove 20 of an identical siding board. Spine 56 projects from inner side 28 and extends along the entire length of the board. Spine 56 adds structural rigidity to board 12. Spine 56 has flat surface 63 formed thereon. Flat surface 63 is coplanar with flat surfaces 61 and 59.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, mounting clips 36 are used to mount boards 12 to the wall studs 100 forming the wall (see FIG. 6). Siding boards 12 a and 12 b are mounted to the wall studs in horizontal abutting parallel arrangement with the tongue of one board retained in the groove of the board immediately above. To mount the siding boards to the wall studs clips 36 are first mounted to the wall studs by means of fastener 44 (either a nail or screw). Aperture 42 is provided on flat portion 40 of clip 36 to provide a quick and simple means to mount the clips to the wall studs. Clips 36 each have a sinusoidal portion 38 which is contoured to fit closely within groove 20. Sinusoidal portion 38 is profiled to closely fit over toe portion 30 and to fit snugly between top wall 32 and tongue 18. Sinusoidal portion 38 has dimples 46 formed thereon which act as spacers separating the tip of tongue 18 from top wall 38 such that the tongue and groove are separated by a small predefined gap 58. The dimensions of dimples 46 define the size of gap 58, which is preferably about 1 mm.

Lip 22 of edge 14 is dovetailed such that when tongue 18 is inserted into groove 20, a portion 52 of lip 22 contacts surface 54 of board 12 a adjacent tongue 18. The close contact between lip 22 and surface 54 of tongue 18 adds to the weather resistant nature of the cladding.

End

Clip 36 is preferably made from resilient steel. Preferably, clip 36 is formed by stamping an elongated strip of steel with the profile of clip 36 in a suitable stamping machine. Dimples 46 can then be formed by stamping. Since dimples 46 are formed on stamped steel clip 36, the dimples are resilient and can be deformed in the event boards 12 a and 12 b heat and expand. The board are thereby permitted to move relative to the clips to prevent the boards from buckling in the heat.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a plurality of siding boards 12 can be attached to wall stud 100 to form a wall 101. As mentioned above, siding boards 12 are mounted to the wall studs in horizontal abutting parallel arrangement with inner side 28 facing wall stud 100 and with the tongue 18 of one board retained in the groove 20 of the board immediately above. Clips 36 are fastened to wall stud 100 by fasteners 44 and the clips securely mount siding boards 12 to the wall stud at both upper edge 16 and lower edge 14, preventing the siding boards from buckling. Preferably reinforcing spine 56 is dimensioned to lay flush against board 100 to ensure that there is an air gap 57 between board 12 and stud 100. Preferably, spine 56 is dimensioned such that surface 63 is co-planar with surfaces 59 of end 16 and surface 61 of shoulder 24 of each board so that when the boards are positioned against stud 100, the boards will lay flat against the stud and substantially parallel to the studs. Since clips 36 secure boards 12 to studs 100 at both ends 14 and 16 and since surfaces 63, 59 and 61 are coplanar, siding boards 12 are more likely not to buckle or warp.

An alternate embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 7 and consists of a plurality of siding boards 102 which are mounted to wall stud 110 by clips 136. Clips 136 are identical in every way to clips 36. Boards 102 consist of flat elongated boards having upper edge 116 and lower edge 114, inner side 128 and outer side 126. As with boards 12, boards 102 may be made of solid wood, particle board or, preferably, a composite material made of an extruded polymer/filler mix, the composition of which is designed to balance cost, appearance and strength. Boards 102 have tongue 118 formed on end 116 and groove 120 formed on end 114. Groove 120 and tongue 118 are identical to groove 20 and tongue 18 formed on board 12 of the previous embodiment and function in the same way. Board 102 lacks scallop 50 and reinforcing spine 56 found in board 12 of the previous embodiment. If board 102 is made of a very rigid material such as wood or a rigid polymer/filler combination, then board 102 may have sufficient rigidity without the need of a reinforcing spine. Furthermore, since boards 102 are being supported from below by clips 136 and since the upper ends 116 of each board is held to stud 110 by clips 136, the boards will have less tendency to warp and buckle even without a reinforcing spine.

The present invention has many advantages over the prior art. Firstly, mounting the siding boards is quite quick because of the use of the mounting clips. The user simply has to measure out the placement of the clips and then nail a plurality of clips to the wall studs in a horizontal row. The boards are then suspended to the row of clips by attachment of the sinusoidal portion of the clips to the grooved edge of the boards. The top edge of the boards are then secured by attaching another row of clips. The next row of siding boards are then suspended to the last row of clips and process is repeated. Since the boards “float” on the stud wall via the clips, making minute adjustments to the positioning of the siding boards is possible. Also, the floating boards are less prone to buckling as a result of sun exposure or as a result of settling. Finally, since the boards are not directly mounted to the studs but are rather supported by the clips, to boards do not require as much structural strength.

A specific embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed; however, several variations of the disclosed embodiment could be envisioned as within the scope of this invention. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims. 

1. A siding system for mounting to a plurality of wall studs to form wall siding, the system comprising: a plurality of elongated siding boards for mounting to the wall studs in a parallel and abutting side to side orientation, each siding board having a length, opposite outer and inner sides and opposite upper and lower edges, the upper edge having a tongue formed thereon extending substantially the entire length of the siding board and the opposite lower edge having a groove formed thereon extending substantially the entire length of the siding board; the tongue and the groove being dimensioned and configured such that the tongue of one siding board can be received within the groove of the siding board mounted immediately above; a plurality of mounting clips for mounting the siding boards to the wall studs, the mounting clips each having a sinusoidal portion contoured and dimensioned to fit in the groove between the groove of one siding board and the tongue of the siding board immediately below, the clip having an aperture for receiving a mounting element for mounting the clip to the wall stud.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein each siding board has a shoulder projecting from the inner side, the shoulder positioned adjacent the lower edge and extending substantially the entire length of the board, the groove being formed on the shoulder, the lower edge of each board having a lip projecting below the shoulder, the lip being dimensioned and configured such that the lip overlaps a portion of the tongue of the board immediately beneath when said tongue is fully inserted in the groove.
 3. The system of claim 1 wherein the sinusoidal portion of the clip is provided with at least one resilient dimple, the dimple being positioned on the sinusoidal portion and dimensioned such that when two siding boards are mounted together the tongue of one siding board is separated from the groove of the other siding board by a gap.
 4. The system of claim 2 wherein the shoulder has a toe portion formed on one side of the groove and the inner side of the board adjacent the groove forms a side wall, the groove having a top wall positioned between the toe and the side wall.
 5. The system of claim 4 wherein the sinusoidal portion of the clip is provided with at least one resilient dimple, the dimple being positioned on the sinusoidal portion and dimensioned such that when two siding boards are mounted together the tongue of one siding board is separated from the groove of the other siding board by a gap.
 6. The system of claim 5 wherein the dimple of the clip is positioned on the sinusoidal portion such that the dimple bears against the top wall.
 7. The system of claim 2 wherein the lip is further dimensioned and configured such that when the tongue portion of one siding board is fully inserted into the groove portion of another siding board, the lip contacts a contact surface on the outer side of the siding board adjacent the tongue portion.
 8. The system of claim 7 wherein the lip is dovetailed.
 9. The system of claim 6 wherein the lip is dovetailed such that when the tongue portion of one siding board is fully inserted into the groove portion of another siding board, the lip contacts a contact surface on the outer side of the siding board adjacent the tongue portion.
 10. A siding system for mounting to a plurality of wall studs to form wall siding, the system comprising: a plurality of elongated siding boards for mounting to the wall studs in a parallel and overlapping side to side orientation, each siding board having a length, opposite outer and inner sides and opposite upper and lower edges, the upper edge having a tongue formed thereon extending substantially the entire length of the siding board and the opposite lower edge having a groove formed thereon extending substantially the entire length of the siding board; a shoulder portion extending from the inner side of the siding boards adjacent the lower edge, the groove being formed on the shoulder adjacent the lower edge, the lower edge having a lower lip extending below the groove, the tongue and the groove being dimensioned and configured such that the tongue of one siding board can be snugly received within the groove of the siding board mounted immediately above; a plurality of mounting clips for mounting the siding boards to the wall studs, the mounting clips each having a flat portion and a sinusoidal portion, the sinusoidal portion being dimensioned and configured to fit in the groove between the groove of one siding board and the tongue of the adjacent siding board, the flat portion having an aperture for receiving a mounting element for mounting the clip to the wall stud.
 11. The system of claim 10 wherein the sinusoidal portion of the clip is provided with at least one resilient dimple, the dimple being positioned on the sinusoidal portion and dimensioned such that when two siding boards are mounted together the tongue of one siding board is separated from the groove of the other siding board by a gap.
 12. The system of claim 11 wherein the board further comprises an elongated spine projecting from the inner side, the spine extending substantially along the entire length of the board, the board further comprising a first flat surface formed on the shoulder and a second flat surface formed on upper edge adjacent the tongue and a third flat surface formed on the spine, said first, second and third flat surfaces all being coplanar.
 13. The system of claim 12 wherein each siding board has a shoulder projecting from the inner side, the shoulder positioned adjacent the lower edge and extending substantially the entire length of the board, the groove being formed on the shoulder, the lower edge of each board having a lip projecting below the shoulder, the lip being dimensioned and configured such that the lip overlaps a portion of the tongue of the board immediately beneath when said tongue is fully inserted in the groove.
 14. The system of claim 13 wherein the lip is dovetailed such that when the tongue portion of one siding board is fully inserted into the groove portion of another siding board, the lip contacts a contact surface on the outer side of the siding board adjacent the tongue portion.
 15. A siding system for mounting to a plurality of wall studs to form wall siding, the system comprising: a plurality of elongated siding boards for mounting to the wall studs in a parallel and abutting side to side orientation, each siding board having a length, opposite outer and inner sides and opposite upper and lower edges, the upper edge having a tongue formed thereon extending substantially the entire length of the siding board and the opposite lower edge having a groove formed thereon extending substantially the entire length of the siding board; the tongue and the groove being dimensioned and configured such that the tongue of one siding board can be received within the groove of the siding board mounted immediately above; a plurality of mounting clips for mounting the siding boards to the wall studs by suspending the siding boards, the clips being dimensioned and configured to permit the boards to move slightly relative to the mounting clips.
 16. The siding system of claim 15 wherein the mounting clips each have a sinusoidal portion contoured and dimensioned to fit in the groove between the groove of one siding board and the tongue of the siding board immediately below, the clip having an aperture for receiving a mounting element for mounting the clip to the wall stud.
 17. The siding system of claim 16 wherein each siding board has a shoulder projecting from the inner side, the shoulder positioned adjacent the lower edge and extending substantially the entire length of the board, the groove being formed on the shoulder, the lower edge of each board having a lip projecting below the shoulder, the lip being dimensioned and configured such that the lip overlaps a portion of the tongue of the board immediately beneath when said tongue is fully inserted in the groove.
 18. The siding system of claim 17 wherein the shoulder has a toe portion formed on one side of the groove and the inner side of the board adjacent the groove forms a side wall, the groove having a top wall positioned between the toe and the side wall.
 19. The siding system of claim 18 wherein the sinusoidal portion of the clip is provided with at least one resilient dimple, the dimple being positioned on the sinusoidal portion and dimensioned such that when two siding boards are mounted together the tongue of one siding board is separated from the groove of the other siding board by a gap.
 20. The siding system of claim 19 wherein the dimple of the clip is positioned on the sinusoidal portion such that the dimple bears against the top wall. 